Franking machines



Nov. 26, 1968 H. NIRENBERG 3,412,679

FRANKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 28, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wren r04 HamsIVlRE/VBERS HTToR /Eys Nov. 26, 1968 NlRENBERG 3,412,679

FRANKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 28. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wn-wroe Hams/VIRE/VBER5 fiTroRlvEg s United States Patent "ice 3,412,679 FRANKINGMACHINES Hans Nirenberg, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignor toTelefonbau und Normalzeit G.m.b.H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a Germanjoint-stock company Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,739

Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 31, 1965,

2 Claims. (Cl. 101-314) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A franking machine isdescribed wherein a blocking member is provided for preventingunauthorized printing by means of a value stamp to frank an article tobe posted after the value stamp has been inked by an inking roller ofthe machine and before authorized printing has been effected and theinking roller returned in a position in which the inking roller preventsunauthorized printing.

The present invention relates to franking machines with devices forpreventing fraudulent printing of a stamp value.

With franking machines having a stationary value stamp and a pressureplate for moving an article to be franked against the stamp, there isthe danger that after inking of the value stamp articles to be frankedmay be pressed by hand against the value stamp without actuation of thedrive of the franking machine, and thereby a fraudulent printing of thestamp may be effected.

An object of the present invention is to provide a franking machinewhich incorporates novel means for preventing, or at least renderingdiflicult, fraudulent printing by the value stamp thereof.

According to the present invention, a franking machine has a valuestamp, a support member for supporting an article to be franked, ablocking member, first displacement means for positively moving saidblocking member into a blocking position in which said blocking memberprevents printing by said value stamp, second displacement means foreffecting relative movement of said value stamp and said support member,and means for removing said blocking member from said blocking positionin response to said relative movement to allow franking of said articleto be franked on said support member.

Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description thereof taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the control mechanism of a blocking lever, of an inkingdevice, and a support plate for an article to be franked of a frankingmachine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the same mechanism as FIG. 1, but in another position;

FIG. 3 shows the same mechanism as FIGS. 1 and 2, but in yet anotherposition;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the free end of a blocking member of FIGS.1, 2 and 3; and

FIG. 4a shows a section through the free end of the blocking membershown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, a lever 5 and a toothed segment 42 are secured on astationarily mounted shaft 4 and can be moved together to and fro by adrive, which is not illustrated. The lever 5 has a bifurcated endengaging a pin 35 on the rear end of a slide 1 which is mounted so as tobe horizontally movable and carries an inking roller 2 for inking astamping surface 3 of a stationary value sarnp 6. The lever 5, the pin35 and the slide constitute first displacement means for displacing theinking roller 2 3,412,679 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 for inking the stampingsurface 3 of the value stamp 6. In the rest position (FIG. 1) the inkingroller 2, is disposed in front as seen by the operator, of the valuestamp 6 and normally makes the value stamp 6 inaccessible.

The pin 35 on the slide 1 engages in a slot 37 in an arm 26 of ablocking member 7 constructed as a double-armed lever pivotally mountedon a stationary shaft 38 and subject to the action of a spring 32. Whilethe pin 35 is disposed in a horizontal part of the slot 37 in the leverarm 26, the spring 32 is not able to pivot the blocking member 7. Thefree end of the blocking member 7 is formed with branches 13, 14 and 16(FIGS. 4 and 4a) which extend around the value stamp 6 and a date stamp39. The lower edges of the branches 13, 14 and 16 are formed withsawtooth-like cutting edges 15.

As soon as the slide 1 is drawn so far back by the movement of the lever5 that its front edge 8 is disposed approximately beneath the middle ofthe value stamp 6, the pin 35 arrives at an inclined part 40 of the slot37 (FIG. 2). Thereby, the spring 32 is able to pivot the blocking member7 and the sawtooth-like cutting edges 15 of the branches 13, 14 and 16move beneath the stamping surface 3 of the value stamp so that a letterinserted by hand into the gap between the value stamp 6 and a pres sureplate 10 cannot be pressed against the stamping surface 3 of the valuestamp 6.

The toothed segment 42, pivoted with the lever 5, meshes with androtates a toothed wheel 33 on a positive drive cam disc 17 arranged on astationarily supported shaft 34. A pin 36 on a double-armed lever 19which is pivotable about a stationary shaft 18 engages in a circularlycurved slot in the cam disc 17. One end of the slot in the cam disc 17extends radially outwardly as shown. The left arm of the lever 19 asviewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, carries a pin 20 which engages in a slot ina lever 21 carrying the pressure plate 10 for supporting an article tobe franked, the lever 21 being 'pivotably mounted on the stationaryshaft 18.

By means of a spring 22 the lever 21 is resiliently connected to thelever 19, the extent of the movement of the levers 19 and 21 relative toone another being limited by the length of the slot receiving the pin20. When the toothed segment 42 rotates the toothed wheel 33 andtherewith the cam disc 17, the pin 36 on the lever 19 slides along theslot in the cam disc 17 and reaches the radially outwardly extendingpart 41 of said slot as can be seen by a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2with FIG. 3. Since the end of the radially outwardly extending part 41of said slot has a greater distance from the shaft 34 about which thecam disc 17 rotates than the circularly curved part of said slot, thepin 36 is moved by the slot away from the shaft 34 when reaching theoutwardly extending part 41 of said slot, such outward movement of thepin 36 causing the lever 19 to be pivoted out of its position shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 into its position shown in FIG. 3.

'Thereby, the pressure plate 10 is moved towards the printing surface 3of the value stamp 6, and the article 11 is moved by the pressure plate10 against the lower edges 15 of the branches 13, 14, 16 of the blockingmember 7, the pin 35 runs onto the flank 12 of the slots 37.

The pin 36, the double-armed lever 19, and the spring 22, thus,constitute second displacement means for moving, through the lever 21,the pressure plate 10 for supporting the article 11 towards the stampingsurface 3 of the value stamp 6. The flank 12 of the slot 37 is soarranged with respect to the radially outwardly extending part 41 of theslot in the cam disc 17 that the front edge of the blocking member 7,which is raised to the level of the stamping surface 3 by the pressureplate 10 and the postage article 11, inserted as far as the abutment 9,cannot previously be raised.

The lever 21 carrying the pressure plate is formed as an elbow leverhaving an arm 23 to which a locking member 24 is pivoted and coupledurged towards the lever 21 by means of a spring 29, the locking member24 having at its free end a toothing 25 and an inclined surface adaptedto bear against a stationary abutment 31. This toothing 25 co-operateswith a catch 28 which is pivotably mounted by a pin 27 on the arm 26 ofthe blocking member 7. A second stationary abutment is provided forco-openation with the catch 28.

In the position of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1, the lockingmember 24 bear with its inclined end surface against the abutment 31,whereas the catch 28 is clear of the second abutment 30 and is out ofengagement with the toothing 25 0f the locking member 24, the blockingmember 7 being in its raised position while the inking roller 2 preventsan article from. being inserted between the printing surface 3 and thesupport 10 for fraudulent printing.

In the position of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2, the lockingmember 24 still bears against the abutment 31 and the catch 28 bearsagainst the second abutment 30 to prevent the catch 28 from engaging thetoothing 25 of the locking member 28. The blocking member 7 is loweredto prevent fraudulent printing. It. will be noted that in this positionthe pin 35 on the slide 1 is within the inclined part of the slot 37 inthe arm 26. The inclined part 40 of the slot 37 prevents any rotation ofthe arm 26, and therewith the blocking member 7, about the shaft 38.Thereby, it is prevented that the blocking member 7 can be pushedupwards for enabling fraudulent printing.

In the position of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3, the lockingmember 24 and the catch 28 are clear of the respective abutments 31, 30,and the catch 28 has engaged the toothing 25. Thereby, the blockingmember is rigidly connected to the lever 21 through the catch 23 and thelocking member 24.

While the catch 28 bears against second abutment 30, adjustment of theposition of the catch 28 relative to the toothing 25 is possible to anextent which corresponds to the thickness of the article 11. Thetoothing 25, thus, can be displaced relative to the catch 28 under theaction of the movement of the lever 21 until the article 11 on the plate10 has reached the blocking member 7 and begins to raise the blockingmember 7. The raising of plate 10 and the blocking member 7 causes thecatch 28 to engage the toothing 25 slightly before the positionillustrated in FIG. 3 has been reached.

The engagement between the toothing 25 of the locking member 24 and thecatch 28 prevents fraudulently to press the plate 10 downwards withoutimultaneously moving the blocking member 7 downwards after the pin 35has entered the wide upturned part of the slot 37 at the right-hand sideof the level 26, in which position of the pin 35 the blocking member 7could be turned upwards if the locking member 24 and the catch 28 werenot provided.

In order to prevent an article to be franked of a particular thicknessbeing withdrawn from the machine during this phase of the operation ofthe franking machine with the purpose of manipulating a thinner postagearticle into the gap existing between the plate 10 and the blockingmember 7, spring 22 and 32 are so arranged that they immediately closethis gap if the postage article is withdrawn. The spring 32 swings theblocking member 7 again so that it projects below the stamping surface 3and the spring 22 adjusts the pressure plate lever 21 into its initialposition relative to the control lever 19. As soon as the lever 21 hasreached this position, the member 24 is raised by the abutment pin 31against the action of the tension spring 29 and on swinging of theblocking member 7 into its initial position prevents a clamping actionby the catch 28.

It should be clearly understood that the embodiment described andillustrated is given by way of example and that many modifications.additions and omissions are possible without departing from the scopeand spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a franking machine which comprises a value stamp, a support memberfor supporting an article to be tranked, a blocking member movable intoa blocking position in which said blocking member prevents franking bysaid value stamp, means for inking said value stamp, said inking meansbeing normally disposed in a rest position in which said inking meansprevent access to said value stamp, first displacement means fordisplacing said inking means from said rest position to ink said valuestamp, means for moving said blocking member into said blocking positionafter inking of said value stamp, second displacement means for movingsaid support member towards said value stamp, means resilientlyconnecting said support member to said second displacement means, andcommon drive transmitting means for operating said first and seconddisplacement means, the combination of means for locking said blockingmember in said blocking position, means for linking said blocking memberto said support member for jointly moving said support member and saidblocking member, a double-armed lever carrying said blocking member onone arm thereof, spring means acting on the other arm of saiddouble-armed lever for urging said blocking member towards said blockingposition, and lever means carrying said support member, said lockingmeans comprising catch means connected to said other arm of saiddoubleaarmed lever, a locking member connected to said lever means, anda toothing on said locking member, said catch means being engageable insaid toothing for rigidly retaining said blocking member in apredetermined position relative to said support member.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, and further comprising anabutment normally bearing against an inclined surface of said lockingmember, and a further abutment for bearing against said catc h means toprevent said catch means from engaging said toothing, movement of saidsupport member towards said value stamp disengaging said locking memberand said catch means from the respective said abutments, and moving saidcatch means into engagement with said toothing after said abutments havebeen disengaged so as to rigidly connect said blocking member to saidsupport member for joint movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,344,609 3/1944 Hanson 1012972,350,853 6/1944 Wheeler et a1. 1,962,729 6/1934 Andrews l01-79 X ROBERTE. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

F. A. WINANS, Assistant Examiner.

